Drove downtown in the classic to have lunch with a friend today... upon my return, noticed a HUGE oil patch where Fiona usually parks, patterned in a front-to-back steram-like configuration. Craning to look underneath, it appears as if I'm losing oil in such a way that the liquid is running along the exhaust and dripping all along the center back towards the rear. The sheer VOLUME has me worried - like 10X what usually drips and drabs out from the bottom of the gearbox, and *NEVER* in such a pattern. Sigh... If it's not one thing... :incazzato: Looks like I'm ramping the old girl up so I can crawl underneath. I was kinda hoping to wait till Fall to perform major engine surgery, but now (shrug). Wish me luck!
I'm almost afraid to look... I was really stressing the poor engine on the way out to Dayton with you guys. She's still running fine, though, so hopefully it's just a (really bad) rod change oil seal or something... Or SOMETHING. ((sigh))
Hope it's something simple ...keep us informed. I was impressed with the way it ran on Saturday. The brief romp you and I made coming out of Tremont City, she motored through the turns really strong.
I thought Classics were obligated to release excess fluids on a regular basis. That's how they keep getting your attention. Maybe Fiona is feeling like Dawn gets all the attention? Hope it's a relatively simple fix!
We just had a similar issue with a friend's MINI. The gasket around the oil filter didn't roll down properly when the filter was replaced and it ripped. He pulled into my garage to detail and there was oil EVERYWHERE on the bottom of his car. It was a startling amount of oil, as well. Hope it is nothing serious.
I'll start at the filter and work my way backwards. I have to crawl under there anyway to take off the cat and fit a straight pipe. Hope that's all it is - I needed to replace the oil anyway.
Crammed myself beneath the car over the weekend... Looks like the rod change seal... again. I replaced it a few years' back when it was seeping, and this time around the rubber bootie was soaked and the rod itself was completely soaked, which looks like what was dripping (not the exhaust). Despite all this the sump was only a little low, so I think it looked a lot worse than it really was, but I did an oil and filter change on general principle and will keep an eye on my levels until I can order in some new parts. I also need new engine steady bushings (engine movement might have hastened the failure of the rod change seal) and I'm going to install the secondary steady bracket that mounts to the thermostat hosing as well. Hopefully THAT will lock the engine down once and for all.
It makes me proud see that even twenty years later, the superb Mini rust prevention system is still operating faultlessly with a regular dispensing of the proprietary anti-rust agent. You can't buy engineering this good any more. Remember the A-series motto - putting in less oil than petrol (gas) is the sign of a healthy engine. :devil:
It's actually true... there's not much corrosion under there, thanks to all the engine oil sprayed all over the place. And hey... it's not like I can SEE under there, so... (shrug). Now if I can just figure out a way to direct the flow onto the sills and up into the fender wings, I'd be GOLDEN.
Well Matt, that little red box of yours sure was running strong on the Dayton outing. I have some good memories of you in front of me flying down those country roads next to the fields brimming with fresh green corn stalks.... Good times for sure.
Yeah it was indeed a blast, and I was running with the gas pedal on the floor the whole time. If I was going to bust a seal, that would have been the time for sure. I think I'll order a few extra this time, as swapping them isn't such a big deal if I have the part on-hand.